In the Yangxin Hall, Emperor Qianlong was looking at the half-faced golden lock and thinking about the last words left by the nanny, feeling extremely confused.
If what the nurse said is true, he is not a Manchu but a Han, which will shake his throne and make his rule lose legitimacy.
At that time, those rebellious officials and traitors will use this as an excuse to oppose him. Even if he could suppress them one by one, he didn't know how much manpower, material and financial resources it would cost, let alone how many heads he would have to chop off.
During the Kangxi period, there were as many as ten rebellions under the guise of the Third Prince Zhu. Every time a rebellion was fought, millions of taels of silver were spent, and the fields were filled with murders, corpses were everywhere, and blood was shed on the oars before the rebellion could be temporarily quelled.
Emperor Qianlong knew that if he were Han Chinese, he would be no less harmful to the country than [Prince Zhu III]. It will definitely shake the country and bring chaos to the court.
Therefore, he did not dare to accept the nanny's words easily.
But he also knew that the wet nurse had raised him since he was a child, and she could be said to be very caring and affectionate towards him. In his opinion, the wet nurse would never lie to him.
He is most likely Han Chinese, and his biological mother is currently living among the people. Maybe you are suffering, tired, hungry, hungry, bullied.
After all, the human heart is made of flesh. Mother and son are connected. Thinking of this, Emperor Qianlong couldn't help but feel worried, his internal organs were burning, and he wished he could grow wings from his ribs and fly to Yunzhou Mansion to find out what happened.
…
"Come here, Xuan Ji Xiaolan enters the palace~" Qianlong immediately ordered.
"Your Majesty, Master Ji has gone to Yunzhou Mansion to inspect the rural examination." Shunxi, the eunuch beside him, immediately replied.
Qianlong was greatly disappointed when he heard this.
Without Ji Xiaolan around, there is no one to consult with when things happen, which is really heartbreaking.
At this moment, the eunuch outside the door shouted, "The Queen Mother is here!"
Qianlong quickly stood up to greet him and saw the Queen Mother walking into the main hall accompanied by palace maids and eunuchs.
"I heard that the wet nurse died of poisoning?" the Queen Mother said with a sad look on her face, "Your Majesty, this matter is not a trivial matter. We must deal with it carefully. We must not only redress the injustice of the wet nurse, but also stabilize the harem, and don't cause trouble in the city."
"Yes, your mother-in-law, the emperor knows it." Qianlong nodded.
The harem is connected to the former dynasty. Once the harem is unstable and word spreads, the former dynasty and even the people will be in uproar, causing countless turmoil.
Therefore, the wet nurse's case must be investigated, but it must not be made public or publicized, and the scale must be accurate.
"Well, what last words did the wet nurse leave before she died?" The Queen Mother asked again, "The wet nurse raised you from a young age and worked hard all her life. If she has any last wishes, the emperor can help her fulfill them."
Qianlong's heart moved and he said tentatively, "Empress Huang, the nanny wants me to find someone... White Snake~"
When the Queen Mother heard this, her face showed surprise.
"Have you ever heard of this name?" Qianlong asked quickly when he saw it.
"I haven't heard of the Ai family, and I don't know him." The Queen Mother denied with a slightly panicked expression.
When Qianlong saw it, he became more suspicious and determined to go to Yunzhou Mansion to find out what happened.
…
Xiang Nan worked hard all the way and finally arrived in Yunzhou, where he was warmly received by the local magistrate Wu Zui.
Food, wine, and even the maids who serve around her are all smart and pretty, and their looks are no less than those of internet celebrity beauties.
On the eighth day of August, the first Yunzhou Prefectural Examination was held.
Xiang Nan, Wu Zui, and many local officials sat on the high platform of Gongyuan, condescendingly supervising the inspections of the officers and soldiers.
Under the high platform, Yunzhou Prefecture candidates lined up to be searched by officers and soldiers.
In the imperial examinations of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, in order to prevent cheating, the system was very strict, and no scraps of paper or words were allowed into the examination room. Anyone who violates the rules will not only be disqualified from the exam, but will also be punished by wearing a shackle in public.
However, once you pass the exam, you can become a civil servant. From now on, you will not have to pay taxes or do corvee, and you can also serve as an official. There are even small farmers and small businessmen who join their families to avoid paying taxes and labor. It can be said that the carp leaping over the dragon's gate is worth a hundred times.
Just like after Fan Jin passed the imperial examination, not only did his father-in-law treat him respectfully, but even the local squires took the initiative to visit him and presented him with houses and money.
The temptation faced is so great that many people are willing to take risks and still want to cheat.
Ji Xiaolan came from a legitimate background in the imperial examinations and knew very well about the fraud in the imperial examinations. Xiang Nan inherited his memory and naturally knew the matter well.
Therefore, he looked at these candidates with a clear eye and could see at a glance whether he wanted to cheat.
…
At that moment, he saw a candidate.
The examinee looked unnatural and kept glancing upward, as if there was a god above his head.
Xiang Nan smiled and then tapped his official hat.
Magistrate Wu Zui immediately understood and said, "Take off his hat~"
The officers and soldiers took off his hat at the order and found a dozen cheat sheets inside.
"Pull him down!" Wu Zui's face immediately darkened and he shouted sternly.
At that moment, two officers and soldiers came forward, wiped their shoulders and folded their arms, and escorted the candidate down.
"I don't dare anymore, I don't dare anymore, please forgive me!" He was so frightened that he begged for mercy again and again, and his shrill screams made other candidates turn pale with fear.
"Your Excellency, you have a sharp eye!" Wu Zui said with a smile and flattery.
"Hey, it's really disappointing that they don't even try to improve their cheating methods." Xiang Nan pretended to be X.
…
Since the entrained person was detected, the next inspection will be much stricter than the previous one.
Not only were the hats taken off, but also the clothes were untied and searched. As expected, many candidates were dismissed.
Among those candidates, some wrote cheat sheets on their stomachs, some hid cheat sheets in their shoes, and some hid cheat sheets in their braids... In short, they were all diverse and eye-opening.
Xiang Nan watched with interest at first, but as he looked, he saw Du Xiaoyue in the queue.
Although she was dressed in men's clothing, Xiang Nan still recognized her at a glance.
Firstly, Du Xiaoyue has white teeth and red lips, and is extremely good-looking. He stands in the crowd as if he stands out from the crowd; secondly, Du Xiaoyue possesses martial arts skills and is full of energy, and has more temperament than these weak scholars; Come on, after all, Xiang Nan has watched the series and seen Du Xiaoyue in men's clothing, so she has not been deceived by her.
Seeing that Du Xiaoyue was about to be searched, Xiang Nan was worried that something might happen, so he smiled and said to Wu Zui, "Prefect Wu, I'm sorry, I'll go to the back for convenience."
"Master Ji, please, please!" Wu Zui said with a smile, and then ordered two followers, "Hurry up and wait."
…
After Xiang Nan left, all the officials in Yunzhou Mansion breathed a sigh of relief.
As the admiral of academic affairs and the emperor's imperial envoy, he came to inspect the Yunzhou Township Examination today, and found so many candidates who intended to cheat.
Once reported, local officials in Yunzhou will not be able to escape their responsibilities.
A bad academic style is enough to change everyone's opinion.
So when he left, it was really a relief for everyone.
